"Oh—looks like Samuel Hung's brief moment of clarity came at just the right time! Otherwise, the ancestors of your Three Great Houses might've gone down in flames with the defenders of Heavenly Capital!" Shawn Young exclaimed in awe.
"No, that brief clarity was actually a sign that the Black Venom Hex was about to strike fatally! In truth, Samuel Hung died from the Black Venom Hex! After his death, palace attendants wrapped him in Yellow Dragon brocade and buried him in the Golden Dragon Hall. They even tried to use his 'Imperial Dragon Aura' to protect the palace, hoping to curse all the Qing soldiers who broke into the Heavenly King's Palace. Sadly, the venom hadn't matured enough, so the plan failed!" Ethan Qinglong revealed another shocking truth to Shawn Young.
"Black Venom Hex?! So Samuel Hung didn't die of illness or suicide, but was killed by this wicked Black Venom Hex?!" Shawn Young was stunned. After all, the Codex of Ascension mentions the 'Three Southern Sorceries'—sorcery that manipulates supernatural forces to control people or things. In ancient times, female practitioners were called 'wu', and males 'xi'.
And this 'Venom Hex' is one of the Three Southern Sorceries! The three are: Venom Hexcraft, Gu Witchery, and Thai Hexcraft!
Speaking of Southern Sorcery, it originated in China's southern regions—Yunnan, Guangxi, Guizhou, and Sichuan. Its history is long and its influence deep, spreading to Southeast Asia and even the West! Southern Sorcery divides into black and white: black for cursing, killing, and harm; white for blessings and prayers—hence, white sorcerers are called 'Lucky Wu'.
'Venom Hex'—a type of black sorcery—uses bizarre poisonous insects and herbs, cultivated by special means into 'venom eggs' or 'venom leads', collectively called 'venom'. Through special incantations, this venom is transferred to the target's body, causing horrifying consequences. For centuries, this mysterious and terrifying art has been shrouded in secrecy—even the Codex of Ascension only records it vaguely.
"Yeah, and get this—the Black Venom Hex was cast by his sister, Annabelle Hung!" Ethan Qinglong dropped another bombshell.
"Annabelle Hung?! The legendary female general of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom—the one they called the Heavenly King's Royal Sister, famed for her beauty and martial prowess, and leader of the Women's Corps!" Shawn Young was floored.
"That's right. It all started with their father, Gregory Hung. He had three wives, and four children—three sons and a daughter. Samuel Hung and Annabelle Hung were born to the second and third wives, respectively. After Gregory Hung died, the family fell on hard times; the children went their separate ways to survive. Samuel Hung failed the imperial exams repeatedly and joined the God Worshippers, eventually becoming their leader. Annabelle Hung, meanwhile, joined a troupe of traveling performers, making a living wherever she could. Only after Samuel Hung rebelled did she return and take command of the Women's Corps!" Ethan Qinglong explained.
"Oh, I see. So how did Annabelle Hung master the Black Venom Hex? From what I know, it takes both talent and time to learn such sorcery!" Shawn Young asked curiously.
"That's right. Besides her impressive titles, Annabelle Hung also had a secret identity as a Miao Black Witch. Before the Taiping Rebellion, she spent several years in southern Yunnan, where she learned powerful black sorcery. But this was her secret—no one knows where her sorcery lineage comes from. Since she was a fierce martial artist and her Women's Corps were tough fighters, she never used black sorcery on the battlefield! She mastered both Black Venom Hex and Gu Witchery! After the fall of Heavenly Capital, she vanished without a trace. Actually, the secret of the Taiping treasure and its biggest mysteries are directly tied to her!" Ethan Qinglong explained.
"Oh! History never really explains what happened to Annabelle Hung. There are several versions: some say she died with the defenders in Heavenly Capital, some say she escaped and disappeared, and the weirdest says she disguised herself as a peasant woman and fled to Shanghai, then sailed with foreign missionaries to America and became a doctor in San Francisco! In short, her fate after the Taiping collapse is a total mystery!" Shawn Young recalled.
"Those stories all have some basis, but none are completely true. In reality, after Heavenly Capital was besieged for months, Samuel Hung was on the verge of a mental breakdown, and Annabelle Hung knew the Taiping cause was doomed. She didn't want to die with her crazy brother, so she planned an escape early on. After surviving so many bloody battles, she was decisive and ruthless. Once she made up her mind, she secretly contacted the Three Great Houses' ancestors and plotted her retreat with them!" Ethan Qinglong said.
"So, the reason your Three Great Houses' ancestors didn't stay in Heavenly Capital and die for the cause was all thanks to Annabelle Hung?" Shawn Young asked in surprise.
"Exactly! Annabelle Hung was incredibly smart and complex. Besides being the powerful 'Heavenly King's Royal Sister,' she had amazing skills. After the Heavenly Capital Incident and a series of disasters, she lost faith in the Taiping regime and didn't want to go down with that rotten dynasty. That's why she planned to curse Samuel Hung, then secretly plotted with our ancestors to escape Heavenly Capital!" Ethan Qinglong said.
"Huh? Why did Annabelle Hung choose your ancestors and not someone else?" Shawn Young wondered aloud.
"Well, there are a few reasons. First, our ancestors were old comrades of hers from the uprising in Guangxi—they'd fought countless battles together and were close friends. Plus, Annabelle Hung was gorgeous and flirtatious, with ties to many Taiping leaders—her old flame was King of the East, Ethan Yang. Our ancestors started out as Ethan Yang's loyalists, but before the Heavenly Capital Incident, they became Samuel Hung's palace guards, escaping the purges. Still, they spent their days in fear and were pessimistic about the future. They couldn't leave Heavenly Capital—until Annabelle Hung approached them, knowing their special status as palace guards. Since their goals matched, they quickly teamed up and set their plan in motion!" Ethan Qinglong explained.
"Oh—so that's it! So, what exactly was their plan?" Shawn Young pressed, knowing this was the key question.